Plan B: Summoning Hope
by Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet
Summary: What if Yunalesca had been a little more understanding and sly? After all, their way of dealing with Sin was a proven, albeit imperfect, method. Now Tidus, the final aeon, beat Jecht, but didn't become Sin, and they have to find out why before he does.
1. If, Then

To say that Tidus felt weird would be a gross understatement akin to calling Anima a little homely. He felt..._liquid, _like his skin barely held his consciousness in. It wasn't painful per se, but it felt so _different_. It had been that way since...well, since the changes had started; changes he knew he could never really understand; changes that seemed to turn his basic instincts to something not even human. He didn't know how long this had gone on either, as he had no sense of the actual passing of time here. Wherever 'here' was.

He felt other consciousnesses too; some recognizable, others completely foreign. While all of the consciousnesses had their own, distinctly separate personality, they all seemed to run together at some point too.

_It will not last_, some of them assured him when he began to fear he'd changed so much he'd begun to lose himself, although he never heard words from them. They communicated with thoughts and feelings, something far more personal than anything he'd ever tried before. _You will be needed soon, _they would continue, _and then you will no longer change. _

After a while, their assurances began to seem practiced and old. So he fell back on his memories, focused on blitzball, how the ball felt in his hands, how the water flowed around him as he twisted and turned, heading towards the goal, and the elation of scoring a point. He remembered fighting fiends, at first for his own life and then to protect those he cared about...especially her.

Once he reached that point in his thought process, he could always bare the changes for just a little longer. If enduring these painless alterations that had begun to chip away at his very soul meant that she would live, he would do so for forever.

So, while he longed to have some semblance of normalcy again, he still found himself repeating one line over and over, one line that would reject any stability for him ever again.

_Don't let her call me!_

xXx

At first, he didn't know what to think when she said his name. He recognized her voice instantly, and if he had any blood at all, it froze in its veins.

_Tidus_, she called, we_need you. Please, come. _

_NO! _he responded. _I won't! _But he couldn't resist, and he knew it, although that wouldn't stop him from trying. He could already feel his body stabilizing. It still seemed to move in ways it should have and felt incredibly strange to him, but the changes had stopped, or at least slowed.

The closer he drew to her voice, the more he felt connected to her, and the stronger he became; his bond to her so apparent it was almost visible. Still, he fought it, despite knowing she would not have called for him unless she felt she had no other choice.

That's when he heard his father's voice in the back of his head. He sounded old, and tired, even through the insane laughter that otherwise would have shown him to be drunk or on some sort of adrenalin high. Tidus could "hear" no words, only the mad laughter followed by screams of despair. It hurt, and Tidus could feel that pain; the pain of an unwilling murderer.

It wasn't until he again saw the world around him splash into existence that the contempt and pity he felt towards Jecht suddenly rooted into his stomach as fear, because he knew what would be next.

"Forgive me," he heard a soft voice behind him, and whirled around to see Yuna barely standing beside a still utterly stoic Auron. "Please," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

_What happened_? He wanted to yell, but his voice didn't seem to want to work. _Not in this form_another thought drifted through to him from the group of consciousness he'd just left. He still seemed to have some sort of connection to them as well. Frustration rose inside of him when he realized he really couldn't speak out loud, but Auron seemed to understand.

"We managed to get inside of Sin," he said, his own voice unusually soft. "We confronted Jecht...and lost."

Tidus looked around again, this time taking in the weakly moving forms of his friends. Wakka and Lulu crouched together, nursing different wounds, one of which showed Wakka's arm at a strange angle and a swollen knee. A trickle of blood came down from the side of Lulu's mouth, and she looked like she was having a hard time breathing. Kimahri leaned on his spear, doing his best to remain standing over an unconscious Rikku protectively. His tail had been damaged and hung limply, throwing off his sense of balance, and his own leg bled profusely. Even through the fur, Tidus could see many bruises, one large one across the chest that undoubtedly meant broken ribs.

"It seems," Yuna whispered, "you were needed here, no matter what."

_The final summoning_, a loud, multiple voice boomed in his head. Tidus set his jaw and turned, only now realizing that he floated in the air. _At last... _One voice seemed relieved, while the other held almost no emotion at all. Then Tidus met the darkened eyes of the giant...thing before him, and recognized Jecht.

_Dad!_He called out, leaning forward.

_I'm sorry,_the sad voice of his father drifted telepathically to him.

At first, Tidus didn't respond. Then he said the only thing that would come to his mind. _Dad, I hate you._

Then the world exploded.

xXx

Auron couldn't help but swear inside his mind over and over again. They'd gone with a back-up plan, just in case, but none of them had wanted to use it. Now they had no choice. Jecht—no, Sin, had simply been too strong. Now history would repeat itself, and he hadn't been able to do anything _again_!

The dead man watched the new form of the creature that had to be Tidus turn to face his father. His skin shimmered with green and blue, sometimes flashing purple or yellow at the ends as the iridescent colors shifted in the light. His human features melted into fins that shot out from his head in all directions, like a giant fan, twitching and swaying in tune to a non-existent tide. He still had a basic, human shape, two legs, and two arms, although they all ended in long, thin fins.

Truth be told, he looked like someone had taken a human, a fish and a coral and then combined them together, and wasn't sure if he particularly liked the idea. Then again, he'd felt that way when he'd seen Jecht's shape as a large, strange mix between a flying fish and as shoopuff (that grew exponentially when possessed by Sin).

He took all of this in in moments as Tidus faced his father. For the first time since they had entered Sin, the giant calmed down, observing his son with sad eyes. For just that moment, Auron saw his friend again, not the monster he had become. Then, the thing's eyes hardened, Yu Yevvon back in control once again. He attacked, throwing out more power than he should have left with all of the damage the little group had dealt to him.

"Now!" he heard Yuna call out from beside him. Instantly, Tidus reacted, releasing his own form of energy, and everything exploded.

Auron felt himself flying through the air, and hit the ground. Somehow, Yuna remained standing, almost as if unaffected, yelling out commands for a battle he could barely see because of all the light from the pure energy the two beings shot back and forth at each other...just like the previous Sin, Jecht and Braska.

_No!_he screamed in his mind, clenching his teeth together. He would not watch this happen again! That's when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Wincing from the pain, Wakka stood, despite Lulu tugging desperately on his arm. He turned and smiled back at her before walking towards the fight. On the other side of him, Kimahri also began to move.

"Kimahri!" Auron called out to the Ronso.

"Take care...Rikku," the beast-like man yelled back, gesturing towards the unconscious Al Bhed.

"You can't help them!" he shouted, but both ignored him completely. He himself took a step forward, fully intent on stopping those two idiots from killing themselves for no reason, when he noticed several pieces of rubble come flying towards them. For the barest moment, he felt torn between stopping those two and protecting the unconscious girl. It only took him an instant to make his decision.

He heaved his sword forward, sending a chunk of flying material crashing away at an alternate trajectory and then bracing himself against the smaller pieces. They had made their choice. She hadn't. He glanced back at Lulu and saw her down a hi-potion. Almost immediately, her breathing eased, and she regained her feet, drinking another potion even as she began to stumble forward after Wakka.

A sudden shudder drew his attention to the fight, just in time to see Jecht's monstrous body fall to the floor. They_ did it, _Auron thought to himself, feeling a knot form in his stomach. Then he began to realize..._we're inside Sin...which is sitting several hundred feet above Bevelle...and like any aeon that is defeated it will disappear..._

He didn't think after that, he just acted as he hissed out a curse. He scooped up Rikku, then ran over and grabbed Lulu.

"Wakka..." she muttered. "Yuna...they're gone..."

Pausing for the barest moment, he looked back to see the familiar light had enveloped the other figures. Gritting his teeth, he continued back towards the ship, carrying the smaller girl and dragging the older woman behind him. The very floor had become transparent and the walls seemed to dissolve around them into pyreflies.

The airship came into view just as the ground started to lose its stability.

_We're not going to make it!_He couldn't help but think. Normally he wouldn't consider himself either an optimist or a pessimist, but a realist; realistically, he couldn't see any way they could cross that distance in-

"Haste!" he heard a weak voice gasp from over his shoulder. Apparently Rikku had regained consciousness. The world around him slowed as he continued to bound across the floor, this time at a much faster pace, vaguely hearing the two girls cry out whenever he jostled them...which meant every step, but he didn't have time to be gentle.

Cid, fearful for his niece's and daughter's lives, had come down to stand on the ramp leading up into the open ship. Auron could hear him yelling through some sort of communication system to get the engines started before he began to run towards them. He'd come out several steps, yelling the whole way before he caught Auron waving him back. The bald man paused for a moment before retreating a few steps so he stood just outside of the ramp door. The bushido blade wielder nodded, impressed with the man's self discipline.

They were only yards away when he felt the floor begin to give way completely. Well, it was now or never. Shifting so Rikku rolled into his hand, he quite literally launched the small girl through the air towards her father, screaming the whole way and waving her arms frantically. She'd probably have a severe fear of heights after this to compliment her phobia of lightning. Then Auron reached behind him, and shoved the sword into what was left of the "ground", using that leverage as a springboard to launch himself directly after her, dragging a strangely quiet Lulu by the arm behind him.

Cid, who also looked like he was having problems remaining standing, continued to keep his instincts in check and stayed within arms length of the ship's ramp, even as the engines revved to life. Gritting his teeth, he stretched out as far as he could, and barely caught Rikku's arm as she fell, clasping onto her wrist. No sooner had she touched him, than the ground gave way completely, the last traces of Sin vanishing around them.

Somehow Cid managed to latch onto the open ramp of the airship that now struggled to stabilize and gain some altitude. Auron desperately reached outward and grabbed Rikku's still swinging leg, causing a chain of whiplash as they swung down wildly from the dropping airship. Cid clung desperately to the edge of the ramp and Rikku, obviously refusing to let go of his daughter.

"Ow, ow, ow! Dad! OW!"

"Ya think it hurts for YOU?" her father managed to grit back. Yeah, the old man had to be holding at least 400 pounds, and he was their lifeline. If he let go, with either hand, they would fall several hundred (if not more) feet onto...

Auron looked down to see what exactly they would land on, and really saw where they were for the first time. The edge of the calm lands?

"Why are we here?" he muttered to himself.

"People better start climbin'!" Cid shouted down to them. Auron grunted and looked down at Lulu. Even from this angle and swinging madly in the air while the ship struggled to not plummet to the ground, he could see and recognize the blank, hollow look in her eyes. And for once, he had nothing to say to her. No words of wisdom came to mind, no calm verbal needles that jabbed at one's pride and prodded them to move on, no subtle hints at the future...he felt just as empty as she looked. But he couldn't climb with her in hand, and he wasn't about to let go, so he had to say something or they would all die.

A sudden jerk and Rikku yelped as their little make-shift ladder suddenly dropped a foot or two. Auron looked up to see that Rikku had grabbed onto her father's legs after their hands had lost grip. This was good. Cid instinctively threw his other arm up and grabbed onto the ledge, now holding on with two hands.

Why wasn't anyone helping them? Why did Cid come down here alone? Shouldn't there be _someone_up there? Auron grit his teeth, knowing that he would _not_let anyone else he knew die today.

"Mourn later!" he called down to Lulu. She blinked and looked up at him as she hung limply from his arm. "You can climb up, or you can hang there, but I'm not going to let go." He said it with a finality that left no room for argument. "If you don't climb up, it will kill us all."

There, the barest spark came back to her eyes and she nodded. He returned the gesture and then pulled her up with his arm so she could hang onto Rikku's other leg.

"OW!" the girl yelped. "That _really _hurts!"

Despite the circumstances, Auron almost found himself chuckling. Count on Rikku to bring a smile to her companions faces at dire times. He had to admit, he did find her antics rather amusing, if more than a little annoying at times.

"I'm coming up," Lulu said, calmly as ever, her dress waving and flapping in the wind. Auron didn't look up. It would be his turn soon enough. Of course, he could just drop off and let them live, but that seemed more than a little hypocritical after his little speech to Lulu. Then again, could he really die again...? He could definitely lose consciousness, as their many battles had proven.

"You...better...hurry..." Cid grunted. Rikku winced as Lulu grabbed the younger girl's belt and then her shoulder, before climbing up to do similarly to Cid. As quickly as she could, she latched onto the lip of the ramp and began to haul herself up. Once in the relative safety of the ship, she reached over and grabbed onto Cid's jumpsuit, doing what she could to help keep everyone else from falling.

"Where is everyone?" She yelled down to him, trying to avoid staring at the countryside below.

"I ordered them to stay at their stations! Not gonna do...no one any good if we all die, but I wasn't 'bout...to stand around while my daughter and niece were out there! Figured..." he paused, grunting with the effort, "Figured I could...run it all from...down here."

Meanwhile, Auron swung his arm up and over, following Lulu's latter trail up, ignoring Rikku's calls of "pervert" seeing as he did his best to avoid touching anything too personal. Once he got ahold of Cid's shoulder, he pushed himself up and latched onto the ramp.

Between himself and Lulu, they were able to drag both Cid and Rikku on board fairly easily. No sooner had they done so than the far door opened and Brother ran in with several Al Bhed behind him, all carrying medical supplies of some sort. The group paused when they saw them all sprawled and breathless on the floor at the back of the cavern.

Brother shouted something and the ramp began to creak closed behind them. Hearing his son's voice, Cid's face contorted into a deep, angry frown. "I thought I told all o' you to stay at your stations n' let no one else leave their assigned area!"

Brother rolled his eyes before sprinting forward and yelling in Al Bhed, something about how they weren't just going to stand around when they couldn't reach their captain. Apparently they'd been trying to get ahold of him since they'd begun to gain a decent ascent.

"That's...my family...for you," Rikku gasped, then gratefully took the potion she was offered while they checked her over for broken bones that would need setting before the medicine healed it beyond proper repair.

Auron, used to the pain and bruises, turned to a still shaking Cid (truthfully, he'd been impressed that the man had been able to hold on that long, especially considering his age). "So," he grunted, "why are we above the Calm Lands? Last I knew, we were sitting above Bevelle."

The older man eyed him with a look that clearly stated his annoyance at being questioned while his body remained in this shape, but was obviously too tired to argue. "Dunno. At some point, we felt a jostle, and figured we were moving. No idea why that giant tub decided to up and skedaddle."

"Hmm," Auron responded, contemplating this information.

"Last I heard, you had six in yer group, not three."

For the first time since their escape from the dying Sin, Auron thought back on all of the events that had transpired, and felt a deep depression settle into the pit of his gut.

"We...lost," he said.

"Lost? What do you mean you lost?" The old man could apparently still move very well despite his tortured limbs, because he knelt up and right into Auron's face, glaring at the other man. "Where's Yuna?"

Auron was used to taking his responsibility and meeting the accusations he rightly deserved head on, no matter how it tore him up inside, so he did not back down from the stare.

"We were not enough to take on Sin."

Cid's face suddenly took on a desperate hue. "An what about my li'l niece? What about my Yuna?"

"Wait..." Auron almost winced at the utter anguish in the new voice and turned to see Rikku staring at him, wide-eyed pleading silently, practically begging him to say it wasn't true; to take it all back. "Yunie? Tidus? Wakka? Kimahri? All of them?"

Auron shook his head. "I don't know about Tidus," was all he could bring himself to say.

Someone else spoke up in Al Bhed.

"What did he say?" Lulu asked, her voice once again ringing and devoid of any emotion except utter pain.

"He said," Rikku muttered as tears came to her eyes, "that several objects fell when Sin disappeared. Four of them."

Everyone had stopped and stared at either Rikku or the man who had just spoken while they tried to process this information.

"We'll have to go down and find out for ourselves," Auron muttered, standing up.

"No."

The swordsman turned towards Lulu once again. She didn't move, even to meet his eyes, instead facing the now closed door. "I can't. Not again."

For several moments the dead man considered the woman on the ground beside him. She lay slumped against one of the walls. Her eyes held no tears, but they seemed strained, almost wild. Hadn't this been her second or third trip as a Guardian? In less than thirty-five years she had already been through losing more people than even Auron himself. Worse yet, she had survived every time. Even he couldn't technically claim that. He knew survivors always felt the most guilty, constantly wondering what lucky chance had let them outlive their companions. With a sigh, he nodded and turned to look at Cid. "Can you drop her off at Bevelle before we go?"

"The nearest town, eh?" the man asked, his own voice sober.

Auron nodded. As he watched the older woman for a second, he found himself almost wishing he could do the same and just leave it all. Almost. "We'll drop her off before we go and search for bodies. It's the least we can do."

The old man sighed as someone finally came over and threw Cid's arm around his shoulder. "Yeah," Rikku's father muttered. "You're right."

xXx

He felt a call...a pull almost, but it rang in the back of his disembodied consciousness dully.

_So this is what it's like to be dead, ya?_he muttered to himself. _Jus' sit here like you're floatin'? _He shook his head, hearing Lulu's voice in the back of his head telling him to stop worrying about himself and concentrate.

_Poor Lu, _he sighed mentally, _she's gonna kill me. _He pictured himself laughing at his own pun, although he quickly sobered. He hadn't told her, knowing she would never understand-_could _never understand just how determined he'd been. That's why he'd stayed back, to talk to Yunalesca after...

No, he wouldn't think about that right now. All he really needed to concentrate on was maintaining the shield—his make-shift protection. He really needed to focus, seeing as he stunk at protection. When Wakka had heard about Chappu, he'd been overridden with guilt. He was the older brother; the one that should have died protecting his sibling, not the other way around.

Now he had Yuna and Tidus, and he would protect them if he had to give up his life! He mentally chuckled again at that. _Guess I already have, ya?_

The equivalent of a grunt from the other entity had approval and agreement bursting throughout Wakka's consciousness.

_You don' regret it at all, ya? _Another affirmative. If Wakka had had his body, he would have smiled. _Me neither._


	2. Semblance

Three large figures rolled in the water, moving with powerful and sharp swipes through the tank. Their large, upper torsos rippled with the movement, covered in thick muscle and smooth, gray skin. The fiends' lower halves tapered off into long, flexible fins with hand-like claws at the end. Their heads consisted of a snout full of teeth and small but sharp and aggressive eyes.

As they moved, their actions seemed to flow together, as if synchronized or practiced. They swept their gaze over the stadium and fleeing players, turning their eyes back and forth as if searching the pool. It wasn't long before their gaze seemed to snap away from the moving pray and onto Tidus, almost as if they sensed his presence. Once locked on target, they shot forward in the water toward the boys.

Players scrambled to get out of the way as the creatures shot forward. Gillian looked frantically back and forth from Tidus to the monsters. The other player seemed to still be in some sort of daze and hadn't noticed the fiends. All of Gil's instincts told him to _move,_ but the thought of leaving Tidus alone in that state ate at his conscience. He couldn't do it. At the last minute, the blitzer grabbed onto Tidus firmly and propelled them out of the creatures' paths. Claws swished by, just inches from skewering them as Gillian's whirlwind kick moved them beyond reach.

The boys turned to see the creatures fall out of the water below them, crashing onto the bleachers. Luckily, people had already started to evacuate and most were running away screaming. Good. It would keep them alive. The monsters shook off their daze and turned back to face Gil and Tidus, ignoring the other prey around them. Gil found himself amazed despite himself at how they seemed to turn and hunt instinctively with each other. If only their team could move like that, no one else would stand a chance against them!

He shook the thought from his head. Live now, Blitzball later.

Gil's tugging must have finally jolted Tidus back into reality and his reflexes kicked in. As Gil watched, the older boy looked the monsters over with an experienced eye. That startled him. Since when did any star blitzer become well versed in fiends? He glanced back down at the three creatures. They seemed to be reorienting themselves and their gaze remained focused on him and Tidus.

Not that he was complaining, but why weren't they going after the crowds? Then, movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention back to Tidus. His hand closed around water, as if it wanted to hold something, and then the most incredible thing happened. A sword appeared. It looked like bubbling water made whole, with a firm grip that could have been made from metal. And it had just appeared.

Gil stopped swimming, staring in surprise and shock. Tidus looked at the sword as if surprised it was there himself. Then he shook his head, eyes focusing back on the monsters that had leapt up and into the sphere again.

Tidus motioned for Gil to leave. He had to admit, he was running out of air, and it was getting more and more difficult to focus, but the motion was unmistakable. Scowling, he shook his head and took a firm grasp on the blitzball that he still had clutched under his arm. Tidus had been his model, and Gil wasn't about to leave him to take on three large fiends alone.

A little surprise formed on the blond's face before an almost feral smile broke across it. _Let's get 'em._ Gil could have sworn he heard the other's voice in his head, but after a moment, he shook the thought from it. Had to be his imagination. Right?

He didn't have any more time to think on it as the fiends finally reached them. Tidus didn't back down, paddling forward to meet the first creature a moment before the fiend had expected to reach him. Claws didn't extend out quite in time before Tidus had slashed the middle creature's side. The monster hissed, whipping his tail in an effort to reach the passing boy. It hit Tidus, but he managed to use its tail as a springboard to help him get further behind it.

Encouraged by Tidus's attack, Gillian started rotating and picking up speed, using his wind magic to help. At the apex of his turn, he shot the ball in a fast whirl toward the damaged creature's head. Still distracted by Tidus's counter, it didn't' see the knobby ball zooming through the water. Upon impact the creature shuddered, than began to float upwards. Moments later, it dissolved into pyreflies.

As if sensing their companion's death, the other two divided, swimming in opposite directions. One had gone around to face Tidus at an angle that Gil couldn't reach without going through the blond while the other put on a burst of speed to tackle the smaller target. Panicked, Gillian kicked frantically toward the other side to the pool. As he started swimming later than his foe, the creature got to him, just as he began to pick up speed. It opened it's mouth to bite, only to get a mouthful of a sturdy boot. In Gillian's attempt to get away he had kicked the upper jaw of the fiend. The creature floated back stunned by the knock to it's head. While the creature's attention was off of him for a moment, he took a quick glance to check on Tidus.

He saw him locked in a stalemate of teeth and sword, one scraping dangerously against the other. Tidus pushed hard, kicking in the water with a strength Gil had never seen before as the monster tried to get around the thing in its mouth. Abruptly the blade gave way, turning back into water. With the unexpected force gone, the creature shot forward. Expecting this, Tidus quite literally twirled out of the way. Gil's mouth dropped open in surprise again. He'd never seen anyone move like that in the water before!

Tidus looked back to his hand and the sword reformed just as quickly as it had vanished. He swung it, back-handing the creature in a large arc. Finished, it burst into pyreflies and bubbles that ascended through the sphere and into the sky.

_That was SO cool! _Gillian thought. _How did he do that? _ It took him a moment to realize that he'd been focusing on Tidus, and not his own fight. The fiend had shaken off the blow he'd given it before and was swishing forward for another try. Gil looked frantically around for something he could fight with. He saw the ball a distance off, but it was too far to do him any good. Then his vision was obscured by a mouthful of teeth. As Gillian cringed and raised his arms, there was a whoosh, and a wave of water suddenly whirled around him. He opened his eyes to a cloud of lights swirling up. The fiend had vanished.

_What just happened? They're all gone? _He looked around, seeing no creature in sight. Tidus was off to one side of the pool, a puzzled look on his face as he stared down at his right hand. The sword was no longer in sight, but that didn't bother Gil. For now it seemed the danger had passed. Ignoring the burning of his lungs, Gillian swam over to Tidus, a huge grin plastered on his face. He gave the other boy two thumbs up in his excitement. The adrenaline of the fight hadn't worn off yet, blending with the excitement of victory.

That's when everything started to go black.

xXx

The kid that hadn't run with the rest of the blitzers came swimming rather sluggishly up to Tidus and flashed an excited smile. Tidus knew those symptoms. The kid had stayed under water too long. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the kid, shooting off towards the benches lining the sphere of water.

They burst through the energy membrane that held the liquid in the traditional spherical shape, Tidus merely stepping off while the other kid fell down, coughing and gasping for breath. Tidus knelt down beside him, hand on the kid's back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

In answer, the kid turned and looked back up at Tidus, flashing a grin. "I must..." he breathed, "have broken...my record. Had...to be...at least four...minutes." The blond couldn't help but be impressed. At his best, he'd only been able to really hold his breath two minutes and 47 seconds before he had to turn and head towards the air tubes at the four "corners" of the stadium. He'd suspected that while in Spira that time limit had gone up out of sheer necessity, but could never time it to prove it.

Relieved at the other's recovery, Tidus returned the smile, although it felt a little forced. He couldn't help but feel confused. How had he suddenly gotten into a blitzball tank? And why did the fiends follow him? For the first time, he was able to look around and really take in his surroundings. He knew this place; the stadium, the water field, the benches...he'd practically grown up here. This was Zanarkand. _His_ Zanarkand, not some ancient, ruined city falling apart at the edge of civilization.

Unwittingly, he felt his mouth drop open as he took in the sights. For so long he had yearned to come back to this place—to the life he'd lived here. He wanted to be away from Sin and fiends and summonings and corrupt, dead priests. He'd wanted to come _home._

His mind practically shut down at that point. He'd never thought he'd be able to get back, and yet here he was. A hand on his arm drew his attention back to the boy, still gasping for breath. Vaguely, Tidus wondered why he didn't feel any sensations that hinted at the lack of oxygen. Actually, now that he thought about it, when he'd been in the water, he hadn't really felt like he'd been holding his breath at all...

As if sensing his thoughts, the kid spoke up, grin never fading. "You're not...even breathing hard. Should of expect that from the Legendary Son of Jecht!"

Tidus couldn't help but wince at that. "Uh, right," he muttered.

"Tidus! It's Tidus!" someone shouted from the stands. Apparently not everyone had evacuated by the time they'd defeated the fiends. He heard several other shouts from around the stadium and turned to look at the kid again.

"I think it's time to hit the lockers," he said with a smile, hoping it didn't look too sheepish or desperate.

"Oh," the kid nodded, then reached out and grabbed his arm. "Right! Follow me!"

"I know the way myself," Tidus muttered, but the kid didn't seem to hear him.

He never even thought to notice how he didn't begin to dry off.

Nostalgia washed over him as soon as they stepped into the large, warmly painted locker room. How many strategy meetings had he participated in here? How many times had he nursed a wound? Showered? Dried off? Heck, he could still see his locker, looking a tad more beat up than it had been before...as a matter of fact, everything did.

"I can't believe you're really here! I—I..." he turned to see the kid had started to talk to him again. Tidus could almost see the gigantic stars shining in his green eyes.

"Oh, right," the blond turned and held his hand out. "I'm Tidus, but I guess you already know that. What's your-?"

The kid cut Tidus off, grabbing his hand and shaking it enthusiastically. His wet, aubern hair bouned and slapped against itself with the movement. "Gillian Bokkura, but everyone calls me 'Gil' or 'Wind'. Oh my...I really can't believe it's you! Everyone thought you disappeared just like your dad. Some people thought you died in that major attack from the gigantic fiend that nearly destroyed all of Zanarkand but I never believed them once! I mean," he darted around Tidus, looking him up and down as if memorizing every detail, "it's like a dream come true having you back! Where did you go? Why did you stay there? I mean, did you head off to some tropical island while everyone else tried to rebuild the city? I wouldn't blame you if you did. I wanted to and-"

"Whoa, whoa," Tidus held up his hand. "Slow down a second there. Attack on Zanarkand?"

Gil blinked and cocked his head in confusion. "Yeah, the giant fiend that came and practically destroyed the city before it left. Right in the middle of the play offs too. It looked kind of like a giant flying fish with these huge stumps for arms that came out of the side of it, each probably the size of a small building themselves and-"

"Sin," Tidus muttered, tuning out the boy's prattle. So Sin really had attacked here just like the last time he remembered? Did that mean he really was home? If that was the truth, then how did it happen? It wasn't like he could travel back and forth like Sin could, unless...

A dark, cold block of ice began to form in the pit of his stomach. It took Aeons about ten years to become Sin...to get to a point where they couldn't hear the hymn anymore. So did that mean that he had become that monster? Was that why he could travel here, because he'dalready _become_ Sin?

The cold pit began to send waves of fear through his body. The gigantic, professional locker room suddenly felt tiny and cave-like. He could almost see the walls closing in, cutting off his air. He didn't want to hurt anyone! He didn't want to be Sin! Of course, Jecht hadn't either, but that hadn't stopped him.

"Hey?" His head snapped up, locking eyes with the other kid. Gil couldn't be more than a year or two younger than him, but he looked like an infant with the expression of concern he wore on his face. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Tidus responded, trying to force a grin on his face. What was he supposed to say? _No I'm not. I've been wandering around in the _real_ world for who knows how many months, and I found out that my old man is the giant monster bent on destroying everything and now I think _I've_ become that monster and will probably kill you and everyone else around here before too long..._

For some reason he didn't think that would go over well.

"I'm just a little tired."

"After that entrance and your wicked awesome fight? No duh! C'mon," he reached down and grabbed Tidus' arm again. "Your boat survived the attack, and no one's done anything with it yet. It's still parked out front." He suddenly dropped the arm again and raced over to his own locker (one that had been empty when Tidus had been here, must be a new recruit) and pulled out a windbreaker with a hood. "Here," he threw it at Tidus, who caught it deftly. "Put this on. I'll get you there." With that, he picked Tidus' arm back up again and began dragging him out as the former blitzer struggled into the jacket.

_This kid _really_ doesn't have a concept of personal space, does he?_

xXx

_How do you feel? _ Instinctively Jecht knew who asked him that question, although he didn't as of yet know a name to go along with that...er, distinct feeling. How else was he supposed to describe it? He couldn't really see anything, but that was more because he didn't really _have_ to than anything else.

_Like I was bowled over by a flattening bot_, he "muttered" back. _Still not at a hundred percent. _

_That's not surprising, _the voice mused. _You probably won't be for several months, if not longer. _

_Great, _he responded dryly, feeling an annoyed grumble bounce around inside of him without really being there. _Been a while since I been like this, _he commented. _Forgot how weird it feels. _

He felt the equivalent of a chuckle from the other. _It is something you grow used to. _

_What's your name?_ he asked, turning his attention to the actual identity of the voice. It sounded so familiar...

_My real name is something you will have to earn later, but you know me as Bahamut._

If Jecht would have had eyes, they would have shot open wide. _But...you're just a kid! I don't know how I can tell that, but I can! You're not a giant dragon bird thingy..._

Again the voice chuckled. _You would be surprised at some of the aeonic forms I've seen spirits take. Mine is not the strangest. _Jecht mused on that for a moment before the presence turned serious. _Jecht, we have a problem._

_How is it you can call me by my real name, but I can't use yours?_

Bahamut ignored his sardonic question. _Tidus has gone home. _

Jecht blinked and tried to wrap his mind around that. _Wait...he what? As in _home _home? _How_ the-_

_We do not know, exactly. _

The older man sighed inwardly. _It's because he's Sin now, isn't it. _A new feeling, one of wariness and concern floated to him across whatever connection they shared. _You don't know?_ The blitzer couldn't help but feel worried for that little crybaby.

_I don't think he is._

That one outright shocked him. _But... _the gruff man faded off as confusion took over his (rather expansive) senses.

_We don't really know either. It has never happened before, _another, distinctly female 'voice' joined in the conversation. Somehow, Jecht knew she and several others had been listening in all the while.

_That's the biggest problem, though, _Bahamut continued. _If he _isn't_ Sin and he's gone back into the Dream Zanarkand-_

_He's a prime target for Yu Yevvon, _Jecht finished the thought. _We gotta get him out of there!_

The female voice giggled. _You know, Bahamut said the same thing. _

xXx

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! _

"Whoa!" Tidus jumped what felt like a mile, consequently falling off of his bed in the process thanks to his legs being half tangled in the wet sheets. Apparently he hadn't completely dried off from the previous night's swim. The thumping continued from the door near the front of the adjacent room. _ Door...right, _Tidus thought to himself. This was his room, not some random wayside hotel they'd crammed into for the night.

It felt weird to think that.

He stretched away what should have been sore muscles, but after a few moments, he realized no such pains existed. Maybe it was because he hadn't pushed himself in a while? Professional athletes tended to get used to those kinds of aches and pains, not to mention professional body guards. How long had it been since he'd really used his body? Lost in that place with the other aeons as he'd been, it could have been moments or years.

Something shifted in the other room and began to pad across the floor towards the door. "'M commin', 'm commin'," the tired, high-pitched and familiar voice croaked. Right, the kid had crashed on his couch after going on and on about, well basically everything that had happened in Zanarkand since he left.

For a moment, his whole situation struck him as surreal. What part was the dream then? Spira or Zanarkand? His surroundings sure felt real, but then so had everything in Spira. Had all his adventures there been some sort of fantastic dream? Maybe he'd just been out here for a few months, in some hospital somewhere recuperating and just didn't remember it...

He shook his head. Too many holes either way. He'd piece it together later. For now, he stepped out of his room.

"Hey," he muttered, suppressing a chuckle at the kid's unkempt appearance. Gil paused turning to face him with a half-lidded expression. Low blood pressure. Go figure. He was exactly the same as Tidus...well, like he used to be. Seriously, he felt fine right now, like he'd been awake for hours. Weird. "My house-boat, I'll get it. You grab something to eat."

The kid nodded and grunted in ascent as he turned to shuffle towards the kitchen. Meanwhile, Tidus grinned and shook his head, then turned to the door. Through the peephole he could see several people outside and sighed. This had been one part of stardom he hadn't missed.

A wave of sound hit him as he opened the door.

"It is!"

"He's back!"

"Where have you been?"

"Why did you vanish?"

"Did you have a nervous breakdown?"

"Why did you fall from the sky?"

Yup, reporters galore. He should have figured they would have gotten wind of him.

"Is it true you were scouted for another team?"

"Will you be returning to play for the Zanarkand Abes?"

"Will you be taking your place as lead forward again?"

"Will you take Gil 'The Wind's' place back from him?"

Heh, so the kid had been the one to take his place when they couldn't find him. Maybe that spot on the team was cursed or something.

More than used to dealing with this, if a little rusty, he held up his hand and waited for silence. It took several seconds, but eventually they all quieted down for the most part.

"Yeah, I'm Tidus. Back from the dead," he paused, tempted to add a "ya" onto the end of that. For some reason, that phrase just struck him as something Wakka would say. "As for where I went, I don't really remember."

Several more questions burst out at that, just as he thought it would, so he held up his hands again. "I have no more comments until after the press conference." Not that he'd scheduled a press conference, but that would keep them busy and anticipating until then. With that he grinned and waved as he shut the door, letting out a breath of relief. That had actually gone rather smoothly.

"You're not like you used to be," Gil's half-mumbled voice stuttered around some canned food he'd opened up.

Tidus paused and thought back. Yeah, he used to eat that kind of thing up. Not necessarily people bothering him all the time, but the general attention.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Guess not. Couldn't do anything without my manager here, though."

"What changed?"

Tidus shrugged. "He's not here so I figured I should act like he'd want me to...?" Even to him it sounded weak. Then an odd thought struck him. He'd expected his old manager to be banging down the walls. His mother had set him up with the same manager as his father (much to his chagrin), although even Tidus had to admit, he'd been good at what he did.

"I wonder where he is," he pondered aloud.

"Probably...er...dead," Gil said quietly.

Tidus eyes snapped to the other boy. "Huh?"

Gil sighed with an uncomfortable shrug. "A lot of people died that day. The missing people still number in the thousands and the machina are taking so long to clean up all the mess that even people have formed groups and started to clear away rubble."

Tidus felt his eyebrow raise a little at that. "You serious?" It was hard for him to picture anyone from Zanarkand grouping together to do manual labor.

Gil shrugged. "Yeah. It's weird to see people working like that next to the robots."

The blond snickered. It would be interesting to see how Gil took to Spira. Tidus had never really realized how much he relied on robots and other conveniences until he hadn't been able to anymore.

"It's a good workout. You should try it sometime," he said casually.

"Really?" the kid looked skeptically at his senpai.

"Yeah. And it feels good to really help people out too," he said with a grin. "So, where did you get that can of food?" Gil grinned and tossed Tidus an easy-to-open and blessedly warm can of soup.

"Thought you might like some too."

Tidus grinned. "Thanks." With a snap, the lid came off and he downed half of the can in only a few gulps. As he brought the metal away from his lips, a strange sensation washed over him. He felt kind of dizzy and disconnected all of a sudden. He put a hand to his forehead, concentrating on shaking the feeling off.

"You okay?" Gil asked, noticing Tidus's discomfort.

"Yeah," the blond shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You really think so, brat?" Both boys jumped at the new voice and whipped around. Had one of the reporters been able to slip in past him? That was the only thing he could think of...

Two more people stood in the room now. The shorter one wore a hooded tunic decorated in various colors, and his face couldn't be seen well through the deep shadows cast by said hood. The second man was the one that both the boys focused on almost instantly. Tanned skin, dark hair and a tattoo on his open chest, he looked all to familiar to both of them.

Before Gil could say anything, Tidus settled a glare on him.

"Hello, Dad."


	3. Back in the Dream

Three large figures rolled in the water, moving with powerful and sharp swipes through the tank. Their large, upper torsos rippled with the movement, covered in thick muscle and smooth, gray skin. The fiends' lower halves tapered off into long, flexible fins with hand-like claws at the end. Their heads consisted of a snout full of teeth and small but sharp and aggressive eyes.

As they moved, their actions seemed to flow together, as if synchronized or practiced. They swept their gaze over the stadium and fleeing players, turning their eyes back and forth as if searching the pool. It wasn't long before their gaze seemed to snap away from the moving pray and onto Tidus, almost as if they sensed his presence. Once locked on target, they shot forward in the water toward the boys.

Players scrambled to get out of the way as the creatures shot forward. Gillian looked frantically back and forth from Tidus to the monsters. The other player seemed to still be in some sort of daze and hadn't noticed the fiends. All of Gil's instincts told him to _move,_ but the thought of leaving Tidus alone in that state ate at his conscience. He couldn't do it. At the last minute, the blitzer grabbed onto Tidus firmly and propelled them out of the creatures' paths. Claws swished by, just inches from skewering them as Gillian's whirlwind kick moved them beyond reach.

The boys turned to see the creatures fall out of the water below them, crashing onto the bleachers. Luckily, people had already started to evacuate and most were running away screaming. Good. It would keep them alive. The monsters shook off their daze and turned back to face Gil and Tidus, ignoring the other prey around them. Gil found himself amazed despite himself at how they seemed to turn and hunt instinctively with each other. If only their team could move like that, no one else would stand a chance against them!

He shook the thought from his head. Live now, Blitzball later.

Gil's tugging must have finally jolted Tidus back into reality and his reflexes kicked in. As Gil watched, the older boy looked the monsters over with an experienced eye. That startled him. Since when did any star blitzer become well versed in fiends? He glanced back down at the three creatures. They seemed to be reorienting themselves and their gaze remained focused on him and Tidus.

Not that he was complaining, but why weren't they going after the crowds? Then, movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention back to Tidus. His hand closed around water, as if it wanted to hold something, and then the most incredible thing happened. A sword appeared. It looked like bubbling water made whole, with a firm grip that could have been made from metal. And it had just appeared.

Gil stopped swimming, staring in surprise and shock. Tidus looked at the sword as if surprised it was there himself. Then he shook his head, eyes focusing back on the monsters that had leapt up and into the sphere again.

Tidus motioned for Gil to leave. He had to admit, he was running out of air, and it was getting more and more difficult to focus, but the motion was unmistakable. Scowling, he shook his head and took a firm grasp on the blitzball that he still had clutched under his arm. Tidus had been his model, and Gil wasn't about to leave him to take on three large fiends alone.

A little surprise formed on the blond's face before an almost feral smile broke across it. _Let's get 'em._ Gil could have sworn he heard the other's voice in his head, but after a moment, he shook the thought from it. Had to be his imagination. Right?

He didn't have any more time to think on it as the fiends finally reached them. Tidus didn't back down, paddling forward to meet the first creature a moment before the fiend had expected to reach him. Claws didn't extend out quite in time before Tidus had slashed the middle creature's side. The monster hissed, whipping his tail in an effort to reach the passing boy. It hit Tidus, but he managed to use its tail as a springboard to help him get further behind it.

Encouraged by Tidus's attack, Gillian started rotating and picking up speed, using his wind magic to help. At the apex of his turn, he shot the ball in a fast whirl toward the damaged creature's head. Still distracted by Tidus's counter, it didn't' see the knobby ball zooming through the water. Upon impact the creature shuddered, than began to float upwards. Moments later, it dissolved into pyreflies.

As if sensing their companion's death, the other two divided, swimming in opposite directions. One had gone around to face Tidus at an angle that Gil couldn't reach without going through the blond while the other put on a burst of speed to tackle the smaller target. Panicked, Gillian kicked frantically toward the other side to the pool. As he started swimming later than his foe, the creature got to him, just as he began to pick up speed. It opened it's mouth to bite, only to get a mouthful of a sturdy boot. In Gillian's attempt to get away he had kicked the upper jaw of the fiend. The creature floated back stunned by the knock to it's head. While the creature's attention was off of him for a moment, he took a quick glance to check on Tidus.

He saw him locked in a stalemate of teeth and sword, one scraping dangerously against the other. Tidus pushed hard, kicking in the water with a strength Gil had never seen before as the monster tried to get around the thing in its mouth. Abruptly the blade gave way, turning back into water. With the unexpected force gone, the creature shot forward. Expecting this, Tidus quite literally twirled out of the way. Gil's mouth dropped open in surprise again. He'd never seen anyone move like that in the water before!

Tidus looked back to his hand and the sword reformed just as quickly as it had vanished. He swung it, back-handing the creature in a large arc. Finished, it burst into pyreflies and bubbles that ascended through the sphere and into the sky.

_That was SO cool! _Gillian thought. _How did he do that? _ It took him a moment to realize that he'd been focusing on Tidus, and not his own fight. The fiend had shaken off the blow he'd given it before and was swishing forward for another try. Gil looked frantically around for something he could fight with. He saw the ball a distance off, but it was too far to do him any good. Then his vision was obscured by a mouthful of teeth. As Gillian cringed and raised his arms, there was a whoosh, and a wave of water suddenly whirled around him. He opened his eyes to a cloud of lights swirling up. The fiend had vanished.

_What just happened? They're all gone? _He looked around, seeing no creature in sight. Tidus was off to one side of the pool, a puzzled look on his face as he stared down at his right hand. The sword was no longer in sight, but that didn't bother Gil. For now it seemed the danger had passed. Ignoring the burning of his lungs, Gillian swam over to Tidus, a huge grin plastered on his face. He gave the other boy two thumbs up in his excitement. The adrenaline of the fight hadn't worn off yet, blending with the excitement of victory.

That's when everything started to go black.

xXx

The kid that hadn't run with the rest of the blitzers came swimming rather sluggishly up to Tidus and flashed an excited smile. Tidus knew those symptoms. The kid had stayed under water too long. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the kid, shooting off towards the benches lining the sphere of water.

They burst through the energy membrane that held the liquid in the traditional spherical shape, Tidus merely stepping off while the other kid fell down, coughing and gasping for breath. Tidus knelt down beside him, hand on the kid's back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

In answer, the kid turned and looked back up at Tidus, flashing a grin. "I must..." he breathed, "have broken...my record. Had...to be...at least four...minutes." The blond couldn't help but be impressed. At his best, he'd only been able to really hold his breath two minutes and 47 seconds before he had to turn and head towards the air tubes at the four "corners" of the stadium. He'd suspected that while in Spira that time limit had gone up out of sheer necessity, but could never time it to prove it.

Relieved at the other's recovery, Tidus returned the smile, although it felt a little forced. He couldn't help but feel confused. How had he suddenly gotten into a blitzball tank? And why did the fiends follow him? For the first time, he was able to look around and really take in his surroundings. He knew this place; the stadium, the water field, the benches...he'd practically grown up here. This was Zanarkand. _His_ Zanarkand, not some ancient, ruined city falling apart at the edge of civilization.

Unwittingly, he felt his mouth drop open as he took in the sights. For so long he had yearned to come back to this place—to the life he'd lived here. He wanted to be away from Sin and fiends and summonings and corrupt, dead priests. He'd wanted to come _home._

His mind practically shut down at that point. He'd never thought he'd be able to get back, and yet here he was. A hand on his arm drew his attention back to the boy, still gasping for breath. Vaguely, Tidus wondered why he didn't feel any sensations that hinted at the lack of oxygen. Actually, now that he thought about it, when he'd been in the water, he hadn't really felt like he'd been holding his breath at all...

As if sensing his thoughts, the kid spoke up, grin never fading. "You're not...even breathing hard. Should of expect that from the Legendary Son of Jecht!"

Tidus couldn't help but wince at that. "Uh, right," he muttered.

"Tidus! It's Tidus!" someone shouted from the stands. Apparently not everyone had evacuated by the time they'd defeated the fiends. He heard several other shouts from around the stadium and turned to look at the kid again.

"I think it's time to hit the lockers," he said with a smile, hoping it didn't look too sheepish or desperate.

"Oh," the kid nodded, then reached out and grabbed his arm. "Right! Follow me!"

"I know the way myself," Tidus muttered, but the kid didn't seem to hear him.

He never even thought to notice how he didn't begin to dry off.

Nostalgia washed over him as soon as they stepped into the large, warmly painted locker room. How many strategy meetings had he participated in here? How many times had he nursed a wound? Showered? Dried off? Heck, he could still see his locker, looking a tad more beat up than it had been before...as a matter of fact, everything did.

"I can't believe you're really here! I—I..." he turned to see the kid had started to talk to him again. Tidus could almost see the gigantic stars shining in his green eyes.

"Oh, right," the blond turned and held his hand out. "I'm Tidus, but I guess you already know that. What's your-?"

The kid cut Tidus off, grabbing his hand and shaking it enthusiastically. His wet, aubern hair bouned and slapped against itself with the movement. "Gillian Bokkura, but everyone calls me 'Gil' or 'Wind'. Oh my...I really can't believe it's you! Everyone thought you disappeared just like your dad. Some people thought you died in that major attack from the gigantic fiend that nearly destroyed all of Zanarkand but I never believed them once! I mean," he darted around Tidus, looking him up and down as if memorizing every detail, "it's like a dream come true having you back! Where did you go? Why did you stay there? I mean, did you head off to some tropical island while everyone else tried to rebuild the city? I wouldn't blame you if you did. I wanted to and-"

"Whoa, whoa," Tidus held up his hand. "Slow down a second there. Attack on Zanarkand?"

Gil blinked and cocked his head in confusion. "Yeah, the giant fiend that came and practically destroyed the city before it left. Right in the middle of the play offs too. It looked kind of like a giant flying fish with these huge stumps for arms that came out of the side of it, each probably the size of a small building themselves and-"

"Sin," Tidus muttered, tuning out the boy's prattle. So Sin really had attacked here just like the last time he remembered? Did that mean he really was home? If that was the truth, then how did it happen? It wasn't like he could travel back and forth like Sin could, unless...

A dark, cold block of ice began to form in the pit of his stomach. It took Aeons about ten years to become Sin...to get to a point where they couldn't hear the hymn anymore. So did that mean that he had become that monster? Was that why he could travel here, because he'dalready _become_ Sin?

The cold pit began to send waves of fear through his body. The gigantic, professional locker room suddenly felt tiny and cave-like. He could almost see the walls closing in, cutting off his air. He didn't want to hurt anyone! He didn't want to be Sin! Of course, Jecht hadn't either, but that hadn't stopped him.

"Hey?" His head snapped up, locking eyes with the other kid. Gil couldn't be more than a year or two younger than him, but he looked like an infant with the expression of concern he wore on his face. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Tidus responded, trying to force a grin on his face. What was he supposed to say? _No I'm not. I've been wandering around in the _real_ world for who knows how many months, and I found out that my old man is the giant monster bent on destroying everything and now I think _I've_ become that monster and will probably kill you and everyone else around here before too long..._

For some reason he didn't think that would go over well.

"I'm just a little tired."

"After that entrance and your wicked awesome fight? No duh! C'mon," he reached down and grabbed Tidus' arm again. "Your boat survived the attack, and no one's done anything with it yet. It's still parked out front." He suddenly dropped the arm again and raced over to his own locker (one that had been empty when Tidus had been here, must be a new recruit) and pulled out a windbreaker with a hood. "Here," he threw it at Tidus, who caught it deftly. "Put this on. I'll get you there." With that, he picked Tidus' arm back up again and began dragging him out as the former blitzer struggled into the jacket.

_This kid _really_ doesn't have a concept of personal space, does he?_

xXx

_How do you feel? _ Instinctively Jecht knew who asked him that question, although he didn't as of yet know a name to go along with that...er, distinct feeling. How else was he supposed to describe it? He couldn't really see anything, but that was more because he didn't really _have_ to than anything else.

_Like I was bowled over by a flattening bot_, he "muttered" back. _Still not at a hundred percent. _

_That's not surprising, _the voice mused. _You probably won't be for several months, if not longer. _

_Great, _he responded dryly, feeling an annoyed grumble bounce around inside of him without really being there. _Been a while since I been like this, _he commented. _Forgot how weird it feels. _

He felt the equivalent of a chuckle from the other. _It is something you grow used to. _

_What's your name?_ he asked, turning his attention to the actual identity of the voice. It sounded so familiar...

_My real name is something you will have to earn later, but you know me as Bahamut._

If Jecht would have had eyes, they would have shot open wide. _But...you're just a kid! I don't know how I can tell that, but I can! You're not a giant dragon bird thingy..._

Again the voice chuckled. _You would be surprised at some of the aeonic forms I've seen spirits take. Mine is not the strangest. _Jecht mused on that for a moment before the presence turned serious. _Jecht, we have a problem._

_How is it you can call me by my real name, but I can't use yours?_

Bahamut ignored his sardonic question. _Tidus has gone home. _

Jecht blinked and tried to wrap his mind around that. _Wait...he what? As in _home _home? _How_ the-_

_We do not know, exactly. _

The older man sighed inwardly. _It's because he's Sin now, isn't it. _A new feeling, one of wariness and concern floated to him across whatever connection they shared. _You don't know?_ The blitzer couldn't help but feel worried for that little crybaby.

_I don't think he is._

That one outright shocked him. _But... _the gruff man faded off as confusion took over his (rather expansive) senses.

_We don't really know either. It has never happened before, _another, distinctly female 'voice' joined in the conversation. Somehow, Jecht knew she and several others had been listening in all the while.

_That's the biggest problem, though, _Bahamut continued. _If he _isn't_ Sin and he's gone back into the Dream Zanarkand-_

_He's a prime target for Yu Yevvon, _Jecht finished the thought. _We gotta get him out of there!_

The female voice giggled. _You know, Bahamut said the same thing. _

xXx

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! _

"Whoa!" Tidus jumped what felt like a mile, consequently falling off of his bed in the process thanks to his legs being half tangled in the wet sheets. Apparently he hadn't completely dried off from the previous night's swim. The thumping continued from the door near the front of the adjacent room. _ Door...right, _Tidus thought to himself. This was his room, not some random wayside hotel they'd crammed into for the night.

It felt weird to think that.

He stretched away what should have been sore muscles, but after a few moments, he realized no such pains existed. Maybe it was because he hadn't pushed himself in a while? Professional athletes tended to get used to those kinds of aches and pains, not to mention professional body guards. How long had it been since he'd really used his body? Lost in that place with the other aeons as he'd been, it could have been moments or years.

Something shifted in the other room and began to pad across the floor towards the door. "'M commin', 'm commin'," the tired, high-pitched and familiar voice croaked. Right, the kid had crashed on his couch after going on and on about, well basically everything that had happened in Zanarkand since he left.

For a moment, his whole situation struck him as surreal. What part was the dream then? Spira or Zanarkand? His surroundings sure felt real, but then so had everything in Spira. Had all his adventures there been some sort of fantastic dream? Maybe he'd just been out here for a few months, in some hospital somewhere recuperating and just didn't remember it...

He shook his head. Too many holes either way. He'd piece it together later. For now, he stepped out of his room.

"Hey," he muttered, suppressing a chuckle at the kid's unkempt appearance. Gil paused turning to face him with a half-lidded expression. Low blood pressure. Go figure. He was exactly the same as Tidus...well, like he used to be. Seriously, he felt fine right now, like he'd been awake for hours. Weird. "My house-boat, I'll get it. You grab something to eat."

The kid nodded and grunted in ascent as he turned to shuffle towards the kitchen. Meanwhile, Tidus grinned and shook his head, then turned to the door. Through the peephole he could see several people outside and sighed. This had been one part of stardom he hadn't missed.

A wave of sound hit him as he opened the door.

"It is!"

"He's back!"

"Where have you been?"

"Why did you vanish?"

"Did you have a nervous breakdown?"

"Why did you fall from the sky?"

Yup, reporters galore. He should have figured they would have gotten wind of him.

"Is it true you were scouted for another team?"

"Will you be returning to play for the Zanarkand Abes?"

"Will you be taking your place as lead forward again?"

"Will you take Gil 'The Wind's' place back from him?"

Heh, so the kid had been the one to take his place when they couldn't find him. Maybe that spot on the team was cursed or something.

More than used to dealing with this, if a little rusty, he held up his hand and waited for silence. It took several seconds, but eventually they all quieted down for the most part.

"Yeah, I'm Tidus. Back from the dead," he paused, tempted to add a "ya" onto the end of that. For some reason, that phrase just struck him as something Wakka would say. "As for where I went, I don't really remember."

Several more questions burst out at that, just as he thought it would, so he held up his hands again. "I have no more comments until after the press conference." Not that he'd scheduled a press conference, but that would keep them busy and anticipating until then. With that he grinned and waved as he shut the door, letting out a breath of relief. That had actually gone rather smoothly.

"You're not like you used to be," Gil's half-mumbled voice stuttered around some canned food he'd opened up.

Tidus paused and thought back. Yeah, he used to eat that kind of thing up. Not necessarily people bothering him all the time, but the general attention.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Guess not. Couldn't do anything without my manager here, though."

"What changed?"

Tidus shrugged. "He's not here so I figured I should act like he'd want me to...?" Even to him it sounded weak. Then an odd thought struck him. He'd expected his old manager to be banging down the walls. His mother had set him up with the same manager as his father (much to his chagrin), although even Tidus had to admit, he'd been good at what he did.

"I wonder where he is," he pondered aloud.

"Probably...er...dead," Gil said quietly.

Tidus eyes snapped to the other boy. "Huh?"

Gil sighed with an uncomfortable shrug. "A lot of people died that day. The missing people still number in the thousands and the machina are taking so long to clean up all the mess that even people have formed groups and started to clear away rubble."

Tidus felt his eyebrow raise a little at that. "You serious?" It was hard for him to picture anyone from Zanarkand grouping together to do manual labor.

Gil shrugged. "Yeah. It's weird to see people working like that next to the robots."

The blond snickered. It would be interesting to see how Gil took to Spira. Tidus had never really realized how much he relied on robots and other conveniences until he hadn't been able to anymore.

"It's a good workout. You should try it sometime," he said casually.

"Really?" the kid looked skeptically at his senpai.

"Yeah. And it feels good to really help people out too," he said with a grin. "So, where did you get that can of food?" Gil grinned and tossed Tidus an easy-to-open and blessedly warm can of soup.

"Thought you might like some too."

Tidus grinned. "Thanks." With a snap, the lid came off and he downed half of the can in only a few gulps. As he brought the metal away from his lips, a strange sensation washed over him. He felt kind of dizzy and disconnected all of a sudden. He put a hand to his forehead, concentrating on shaking the feeling off.

"You okay?" Gil asked, noticing Tidus's discomfort.

"Yeah," the blond shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You really think so, brat?" Both boys jumped at the new voice and whipped around. Had one of the reporters been able to slip in past him? That was the only thing he could think of...

Two more people stood in the room now. The shorter one wore a hooded tunic decorated in various colors, and his face couldn't be seen well through the deep shadows cast by said hood. The second man was the one that both the boys focused on almost instantly. Tanned skin, dark hair and a tattoo on his open chest, he looked all to familiar to both of them.

Before Gil could say anything, Tidus settled a glare on him.

"Hello, Dad."


	4. Father and Son

"You have _got..._to be..._kidding _me..." Gil muttered and stepped forward, looking as if he were uncertain that he should approach the angel/hero in front of him. "Oh please, _please_ tell me this isn't a dream!"

Tidus would have winced if he weren't so focused on his old man. How was he supposed to answer that? Fortunately, the kid didn't seem to be focused on an answer.

"Mister Jecht...Sir..." Gil muttered, pure awe in his voice. "You...you're back! Oh this is such a great day for Blitzball fans and players ev-"

"What are you doing here?" Jecht stepped forward, cutting off and completely ignoring Gil, who didn't look disturbed by his rudeness in the slightest.

Tidus looked slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"You," Jecht stabbed a finger through the air at him, "here...why?" He shook his head. "Thick as ever."

The blond felt his eyes narrow slightly. "I know what you meant, old man," he shot back. "I don't know why you'd ask me that 'cause I don't _know_ why I'm here!"

"See," the older man practically growled as he advanced on his son. "Thick!" he tapped his head, causing Tidus to bristle up even more.

Gil looked between the two of them with a look of growing panic. Apparently he wasn't used to seeing two of his idols (that were related to each other none the less) fighting. At the moment, Tidus found he couldn't care less. If the kid stepped between them, he'd have to deal with the consequences of getting between two aeons.

The look in his father's eye finally got to Tidu's final nerve. "Will you cut it out? I'm not stupid!" he yelled suddenly, not noticing how the boat rocked in time with his words. Outside, several screams could be heard as people lost footing from the movement.

"Prove it!" Jecht said back, his own voice louder than normal. He stepped directly in front of Tidus, looking down on him with a glare. Apparently he figured he could still intimidate his still much shorter son. Tidus, however, never backed down, instead remaining right where he was, glaring up at the man in front of him.

"I have! I beat you!"

"With little Yuna's help!"

The two men continued to glare at each other, obviously making Gil more than a little uncomfortable. Tidus watched him out of the corner of his eye. Now that he thought about it, the last thing he wanted was for an innocent to be caught up in one of his and Jecht's fights. Tidus was about to open his mouth and suggest they take this elsewhere when Jecht suddenly burst into laughter. "Maybe," he said through his chuckles, "you are my son after all. The crybaby finally grew a backbone."

Tidus scowled, feeling himself calm down the barest degree despite himself. "You think I'd face down giant monsters bent on destroying the world and not have one?"

"You didn't have a choice," the older man's voice suddenly sounded sad, and he looked like he deflated a bit. "We have to come when we're called."

"You're wrong," Tidus said, his own voice dropping in intensity, although it did not lose its edge. "I talked her into picking me. That was my choice."

The older blitzer contemplated his son for several seconds. Then he returned to his chuckling, adding a shake of his head. "Spira really did a number on us, didn't it?"

"Yeah," the blond boy agreed, a smile touching his own lips as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hey," he said suddenly, looking up, "That reminds me, how did you get there?"

"Oh that," Jecht waved his hand dismissively. "Well there was-"

"Jecht," Bahamut stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention. "We do not have the time. If we do not hurry Yu Yevvon will learn to track him through us."

The former blitzer froze and turned to the boy, a look of serious tinged with panic falling over his scarred features. "He can do that?"

"That immortal guy Yunalesca was talking about?" Tidus slipped in for clarification.

"Yes," the boy answered.

"Hey," Gil stepped forward scratching his head. "What's going on?"

The other three turned to look at him for several seconds, each seeming to see him differently. Tidus couldn't help the pity that must have shown on his face. They'd undoubtedly lost the poor kid a while ago. Jecht seemed to be annoyed, and although Tidus couldn't see the boy's face, he got a feeling o hurried amusement from him.

"We do not have time to explain," Bahamut spoke up, then turned to the others before anyone else could say anything. "Tidus, what happened after you beat Sin?" Jecht winced at that, and Tidus glanced at him uncomfortably before he hesitantly answered the question.

"Uh...I remember everything disappeared, like when an Aeon gets defeated. Then I saw Yuna...I don't-" he cut off, slightly choked at the memory of her just lying there, unmoving. "I don't think she was breathing," he whispered. It took him a few more moments to clear his voice and continue. "Um, there was someone else there. I don't know who, but I could just—feel him. He wanted something...me I think, but he couldn't find me."

"Yu Yevvon," Jecht muttered, his voice guttural and harsh. "Remember the fayth on Mt. Gagazet?"

Tidus blinked for a moment before recognition came into his eyes. "Oh, yeah. It's what's keeping this place..." he faded off and glanced over at Gil uncertainly. He couldn't just say that in front of the poor kid.

"Right," Jecht continued. It bugged Tidus how his father seemed to ignore Gil completely. "He protects that fayth by taking over the strongest Aeon...in other words, the Aeon that beat Sin."

Tidus felt his face pale several shades as everything clicked together in his head. Spira's cycle of death, the final summoning, Sin's continuous return. He found it hard to swallow.

"That's how...why it keeps coming back then...and you..." he forced himself to gulp and looked up at Jecht who couldn't seem to make eye contact. "And me..." he whispered.

"Then, nothing happened to you?" Bahamut asked, sounding skeptical.

Tidus shook his head. "No...I felt it, I think...but then there was something else...someone else." A flash of orange and the blond's eyes widened with realization. "Wakka! Wakka was there!"

The boy nodded and took a deep breath. "It is as I guessed, then, and that is why you must leave...now."

"What?" Gil interjected again sounding far more forceful than Tidus had heard him before. "You can't leave! We'd have the best team ever with you two back! I-I'll even give up starting position! Please!" He looked at them desperately. Tidus felt the pity rise in his chest again. The kid's heroes, the people he'd most wanted to meet had both vanished, and now they were back only to disappear again.

"He doesn't have a choice," Jecht glared at the brown-haired boy, causing him to freeze for several moments. The aura he projected right now left no room for argument of any kind, and promised pain to anyone that dared try. Tidus rolled his eyes.

"Dad," he said, drawing his father's attention away from the poor kid. "How?" Tidus asked.

Jecht scratched his head and looked like he was about to answer, but Bahamut him to it. "You find your connection."

"Connection?" Tidus and Gil asked at the same time.

"Jecht's connection when he came to get you was Yu Yevvon, who continually summons from the fayth and maintains Sin," the boy said, his words sounding creepily older than his voice implied. "You, thankfully, do not have that connection, but you do have a connection."

"I do?" Tidus asked.

Jecht shook his head. "Thick."

"Shut up," the blond grumbled.

"Let's say someone calls Bahamut here to Spira. Why is he there?" Jecht asked, sounding frustrated.

Tidus shrugged. "Their sum...wait, Yuna? She's still alive?" His face suddenly lit up. He didn't know how it was possible, but a new source of hope began to swell in his chest, replacing the emptiness that had been left when he'd seen her lying there.

"We do not know, but there should still be a connection from you to Spira or you would not be here," the cloaked summon nodded. "Find that connection, and you will find your way."

Tidus opened his mouth to say something, but Jecht's heavy thump as he fell to the floor clutching his chest distracted him.

"Dad!"

"Mister Jecht!" Both boys rushed over to him.

"Listen, Tidus," Bahamut said, his voice serious and almost desperate. "We will tell you more when we can, but until we approach you, you need to avoid Aeons. Almost all of them have been touched—tainted by Sin. He's figured it out now. He can find the connections between those he has already corrupted and use them to find you. You are his goal now."

"Why?" Gil broke in. "Who is this Yevin guy and why is he after Tidus?" The others ignored him.

"Then you two..." Tidus' face had lost several shades again, and he stood up, backing away.

Jecht grunted. "Hurry. We'll talk...dreams..."

"One more thing," the boy walked forward towards Tidus. "He does not have to have a body to find you. Although having possessed an aeon will make his tracking you easier, we do not know if he will try to do so or not. It doesn't matter either way because nothing will stop him. You have to keep moving. The more desperate he gets, the more he will affect you and your choices, even from a distance. It usually takes 10 years to fall completely, but the more he searches, the stronger he gets and the less time you have if he catches you. Even if he doesn't have an aeon, he will come to find you. Do not stay in one place, ever."

Tidus looked between his father and the boy several times before his expression steeled. "Right." It wouldn't be pretty, but if that's what had to happen, then that's what he would do.

"Good," Bahamut nodded. "Now close your eyes. Search for her."

"Wait," Gil spoke up again, his confusion reaching a point of desperation. "How can he search for something with his eyes closed? Can't anyone tell me what's going on?"

"Not again...you..." Jecht hissed through gritted teeth. It took Tidus a moment to realize that he wasn't talking to Gil. "I will not fall...again..."

Sin! He was talking to Yu Yevvon! Tidus closed his eyes and began searching his mind almost frantically.

"Fall?" Gil asked.

"Hurry," Bahamut whispered. "He comes."

What did the boy think Tidus was trying to do? "I'm try-" Tidus started, but stopped suddenly. There, a string of light that flickered weakly. "I found it..." he said, opening his eyes. Apparently something had changed because Gil started and tooke a step back. Everything around him had changed, and yet they hadn't. He could see their connections to each other, and the fayth and the dreamers, the aeons, even Yu Yevvon. "I feel it."

He didn't realize he was floating until he practically flew through the doorway. The reporters had apparently decided the boat wasn't stable and had abandoned it. Now they all waited on the dock in little clumps.

He heard someone yell, but couldn't bring himself to care. He knew who that flickering line belonged to, and he would do anything to get back to her again.

Anything.

Suddenly the world was rushing by him in a burst of speed as he shot towards the clouds. Everything began to blur together and fall away, except for something on his arm.

"Gil?" he somehow managed to say as he looked down and recognized the brown/auburn hair, and then that was gone too. The last thing he remembered was a splash and nothing else.

xXx

When Tidus and Jecht had started to fight, it had thrown Gil for a loop. They were Jecht and Tidus! Father and son! The two best Blitzball players in the last two generations! How could they fight each other? He'd been about to step in when the hooded boy had stopped him.

"You must let them work this out," he said calmly. "You can comment, but do not interfere."

"But," Gil looked between the boy and the adults as they continued to glare at each other, "they're gonna get into a fight or something!"

The boy cocked his head thoughtfully. "If that is how this must end."

"End?"

The boy looked up directly at Gil. "You may want to leave. If this does end in a battle, you probably won't survive."

"Huh?"

And it had only gotten worse from there. After that no one seemed to really care that he was there. Gil had grown up in a family with seven children, so that wasn't something he couldn't handle, but then they'd talked about leaving again. That was not something he could just stand by and let happen. Gil wasn't about to let them disappear on everyone a second time. They'd inspired so many people and besides, something about this whole thing felt..._dangerous._

He'd sounded protests, tried to talk sense into them (do something—anything to get them to stay), and then, to Gil's horror, Tidus had started to float. Clouds gathered outside, and the boat began to rock. Gill recognized those clouds immediately. He'd seen them on the news the night before when he and Tidus had managed to catch it. The storm gathering now looked just like the sky above Zanakrkand had just before Tidus had fallen into the stadium.

"NO!" he yelled, somehow knowing what would happen now. Tidus was going back. Back to where? This Spira place? He didn't know. All Gil did know was that one of his idols was leaving them all again. The blond didn't seem to hear him as he half walked, half floated to the door and opened it. "Don't go!" Gil yelled again, lunging forward to catch onto Tidus's hand. Still oblivious to his presence, the blond looked up at the sky for just a moment before he shot up towards the swirling mass of clouds, but not before Gill had grabbed his arm.

The next thing he knew, he was zooming up and away from Zanarkand. Giving a yelp of surprise and terror, he clung to Tidus' arm desperately. It only took them moments to pass the highest buildings, the clouds coming closer and closer.

Then, they blew through them. The last thing he remembered was Tidus actually calling out his name and losing grip on his arm. Then he knew no more.


	5. Broken Company

_Yes, I am FINALLY updating this. I have also gone back through chapters 1-4 and done a really fast rehaul. I hope it's easier to read now. So please note that this hasn't really been beta read. Hope you enjoy it anyway. ^^;_

* * *

_Spira: Outside of Bavelle_

"How bad is it?" Auron glanced up at Cid, his arms folded, his back leaning against the wall of the way station situated at the edge of Spira's capital city.

Cid rubbed the back of his head, then wiped his hands on a dirty rag as he scowled a little. "It's not great that's for sure. Sin beat us up pretty good. She's gonna need a major re-haul of almost everything. Sad to say she won't be running up in the sky any time soon." The older man sighed rubbing his hands together, ignoring the fact that the rag had done little to wipe off the grease and grime. Apparently, the inspection itself had taken a toll.

Auron grunted and looked toward the door, not even bothering to hide his impatience.

Cid turned toward the sound of footsteps and saw his daughter enter the room. The echoes her shoes made sounded more like lead hitting metal then the usual light taps of Rikku's feet. She looked as bad as Cid in appearance, although where he had grease stains, she had dark eyes and messy clothes; like she hadn't slept in days or bothered to maintain her appearance.

Cid walked over, embracing the girl gently, not wanting to ask after her just yet. Instead, he tried to get her mind off of her current situation. "How's Lulu?" Mentally he kicked himself. Yes, he would count that as a fail on his part.

Rikku sighed and looked downcast toward the floor. "Not very good," she muttered in a scratchy, unused voice. "It's like she's one of her casting dolls or something. She'll move to respond to me, but there's not much life of her own," she rubbed at her arm not daring to look at the others.

"Hey, look at me. It's not your fault kiddo, all of us tried our best." Cid tried to meet Rikku's eyes, but she turned her back to him, causing his words to fall flat on the floor. He remembered how she'd told him before how she felt cold, ashamed, lonely, empty, and...well a chaotic mess of emotions. She kept blaming herself for how everything had turned out. In her mind she couldn't help but wonder how could she not have been able to do anything for her Yunie? She had promised to protect her, to find another way.

Cid knew how she felt. He also couldn't help but blame himself. There must have been something more he could have done. He could have put his foot down and simply not allowed them to continue on the pilgrimage. Like his daughter, his own thoughts ate at him like a plague. Unlike his daughter, he could live with his own guilt. He couldn't, however, do anything to shake away the guilt of his own little girl.

Cid looked toward Auron in despair. He didn't know what to do or say.

Instead of saying anything helpful, the quiet man simply looked them over, and then turned his back. "I'm leaving..." Auron said suddenly and simply, almost cold even for him.

"Huh, but the ship ain't ready to go!" Cid protested, feeling a pang of anger at the other man's attitude.

"I'll walk."

Cid blinked. "Oh well, I guess I can see how you would want to go see...to find the, uhm..." the Al Bhed couldn't bring himself to talk about the possibilities of bodies, one of them being his niece. The idea of no one being able to send their souls and bodies to the farplain bothered him far more than he'd care to admit, Al Bhed or not. He may not believe in that, but Yuna had.

"My sword."

"Sword? What sword?" Cid looked at the man, completely confused.

"My sword. I'm going to find it. It's a good blade." Cid didn't know how to reply to that, choosing to just stare in shock and confusion. Rikku glared at Auron, anger rising and probably compounded with a combination of untended emotions and a lack of sleep the night before.

"What? Your sword? Is that what you care about!" She stomped up to him, fuming and growing redder with every breath. Cid couldn't say he blamed her.

"What about Yuna? Kimahri? Wakka? And what about LULU! She's up there half dead, and I'm...I'm..." Tears began to add to the red of her face.

Auron simply shrugged, not seeming to be fazed by anything the girl said. Rikku's fists balled up and she grit her teeth and glared at the man's back. Cid found himself mirroring her and had to snap to a military-esque at-ease stance to keep himself in check. He didn't doubt his daughter wanted to punch the red-clad warrior as that was about what he felt at the moment too.

"FINE!" she shouted, two inches from him. "If that's what you want, then go! Just _go_! And you know what? I'll go too! I can't stand being here either!" She turned and rushed to the door, slamming it on her way out.

It took a moment for Cid to snap from his shock, at which point he turned to go after his daughter, but not before shooting Auron a sour look. They were all hurting. He didn't have to be like that. If Auron saw, he didn't show it. The Al Bhed hurried out of the door, not bothering to close it. Rikku stood just outside weeping openly. Tentatively he reached a rough hand out to touch her arm. She didn't brush him off, but she didn't turn to him either.

"Da...," she sobbed, "I have to leave, I can't stay here. I feel like I'm cracking. I need, I need...space and time to...it's just... Oh I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air. He knew her well enough to see how she was fighting back a scream of frustration.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I just need to get away from everyone for a bit. I don't want to hurt anyone else, and since I can't help anyone! I just...I'm not strong enough." She meant those words, and that _hurt_. He doubted she knew how much her pain hurt him too. He wished he knew what to say to help her.

"Rikku," he said as gently as he could, "you don't have to. Were all hurting. It's just part of healing."

She turned to squeeze her old man before slipping through his fingers. "I'm so sorry, but I can't stay. I'm going. I love you." With that, she turned and began jogging towards the streets of the city, before Cid could even react. The man stood there at a loss at what to do. He wasn't exactly good with people, leader or not. Machina and tactics were what he knew best. He could fix things when they broke, replace parts, buffer or grease. He wished he could do that with his daughter.

The man cursed long and hard in Al Bhed. He glanced once at the inn, considering going up and asking Lulu to go after Rikku, but decided against it. Instead he began shuffling back to his ship parked just outside of the city. He had to fix _something_.

xXx

Tidus heard muffled sounds around him; clicks, shrieks and squeaks at random intervals, and his ears picked them up as if through a thick blanket. He took a deep breath and stretched slightly as his consciousness pulled at the otherwise relaxing calm. It was at that point that he realized that he wasn't on a bed. Nor was he on a couch, a ground, a wooden floor or in a tree.

No, he was wet.

Very, _very _wet...

His eyes snapped open and he sat up, sputtering when he realized he'd been floating in salty water. Then his eyes widened as he realized he'd been floating _face down_in said salty water. He shouldn't be alive right now! But he was...

Quickly, he ran his hands over his body as if to make sure everything was where it should be before looking down to study his hands as he brought them out of the water and in front of his face. Gloves. Black gloves and one thick gauntlet on his right arm, used to keep a blitzball under his arm more easily. Normal, average and everyday for him...so why had he been _breathing under water_?

He took another deep breath (this time of air) and turned to look around him. He had to be in a bay of some sort because the waves weren't as large as they would be in an open sea, but if it was a bay, it was a _big _bay. He squinted. There, in the distance, he could see something on the horizon that could easily be land.

Sighing, he pushed his questions to the side and began to swim towards that little strip in the, thinking how ironic it was that he ended up in the water again. He had no doubt this was Spira. It-the world in general-felt different somehow. He wondered how he hadn't been able to notice it when he'd come here before.

In any case, he knew what he had to do now. His father and Bahamut had said there would be a possibility that Yuna was alive. He had to find out.

When the water fiends started coming for him, he knew. He felt them approach and stopped swimming in favor of treading water. For a moment, he panicked as he realized he didn't have anything to fight with. He didn't know a lot of magic from before, but Lulu had taught him a few spells. Or maybe he could use the sword-water trick from back in Zanerkand?

With a determined look, he stared down at his hand, willing the water to form the sword. He felt the blue substance flow by his hand slightly, but other than that, nothing happened.

He cursed in his head and turned just in time to see the fish-like fiends attack. Focusing his attention on the battle at hand, he dived under the water and twisted around, trying to avoid the sharp teeth and hard fins that really should be impossible on any real animal. Fortunately, these fiends weren't all that strong, and he hadn't been in a battle where a fiend hadn't left something worth money behind. He could get a weapon soon enough.

He just hoped that his magic could last until he reached land.

xXx

"Hey, son!" Gil felt a finger poke him, and then a hand shake him slightly and groaned inwardly. Couldn't they give him five more minutes? "'Are you okay? You've been lying there all morning. Hello?"

Wait, the ground felt hard...and cold. This wasn't his bed. "Wha-huh?" Gill looked around, bleary eyed and saw the fuzzy outline of an older man with short, graying hair. Behind him, Gill saw what he hoped were (from the color because he could see even less details on them) more people shifting around and looking at him with concern.

"Ah, so he is alive," the man chuckled in relief and sat back on his knee. "You had us a mite worried there for a minute."

Gil rubbed the back of his head and tried to sit up. Everything seemed to spin so fast he nearly fell back down. A dark-haired woman holding a child's hand stood behind the man. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

He looked around, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Bringing everything into focus didn't help to make the scene any more familiar.

"Mommy," the boy whispered, "his clothes are funny."

"Shh," she shushed him, looking slightly embarrassed.

He took in his surroundings dully, wondering why nothing made sense. He seemed to have woken up on a long path-like lane decorated with colored mosaic tiles in a diamond pattern. Pillars, strange flags, unrecognizable people; nothing looked familiar.

"I'm not sure what happened," Gil reflected back, his memory a bit foggy. "I was with Tidus, on his boathouse, I think. Then there were these two guys..." he paused for the barest moment, but didn't allow anyone else to cut in as he quickly continued. "Oh yeah! Tidus's dad was one of them! They mentioned something about going back and-well, I didn't want them to leave so I grabbed Tidus, but then I..." he paused, fading off. "Then I-I'm not sure what happened after that. Were we flying?" the boy looked utterly confused. "Where am I?" he asked he asked seemingly in a daze.

"Woah, slow down, kid," the man held up his hands in placating gesture. "You're in front of the temple. Maybe your friend-Tidus, right?-played a trick on you or something."

"Some trick," one of the other people in the crowd muttered darkly.

The man ignored the whispered comments of agreement from the crowd, continuing to look at Gil. "What's your name, son?"

"Gillian. Well, Gil, but some people call me 'Wind'," he said proudly. Then he deflated slightly as the rest of the man's explanation sunk in. "Temple?" he asked, confused. "What temple? There's a temple in Zanarkand?"

"Zanarkand?" the man looked taken aback and glanced over at the murmuring crowd. The woman and at least two other people shrugged.

"Of course there's a temple in Zanarkand," the woman said slowly. "Why would you want to know that?"

Something tickled the back of Gil's mind, almost like his brain had wanted to warn him, but didn't want to consciously let him know what that warning was. "You said I was in front of a temple...right?"

The man looked taken aback. "You think this is the temple in Zanarkand?"

"Well, that's where I was. Wait," he gestured around him, "this isn't some part of Zanarkand?" Truthfully he could see that now that he really studied his surroundings. It didn't look like any part of Zanarkand that he knew, but then how had he gotten here? That whole thing about flying couldn't really have happened...right?

His head hurt and he felt like things were escalating somehow and he couldn't stop it. From the looks on the people's faces, he knew he'd gotten in way over his head, like when he had once been late for curfew and his mom had found him sneaking in. Back then, he'd tried to talk his way out of it, but had ended up only getting deeper into trouble. He got almost the exact same feeling from these people. They stared openly at him, as if his words had been surprising somehow.

"You...think you're in Zanarkand?" one man (maybe only two or three years older than him) asked slowly.

"Uh, yeah," he said slowly. "I mean that's where me and Tidus were last time I checked. I'm from Zanarkand. Lived there all my life. Part of the blitz ball team actually, I mean you've heard of the Zanarkand Abes haven't you?" he asked almost pleadingly.

"He speaks blasphemy!" someone from the crowd whispered. Several of the open stares had turned into utter shock...the highly offended kind of shock. His breaths started coming a little faster. He felt confused enough as it was, but from the glances everyone shot him, it looked like he would end up in a great deal of pain as well.

"Just what are you playing at?" the woman with the child snapped, looking more than a little upset herself.

"Hey," the first man said calmly, although he too was shooting Gil a strange look. "Calm down, all of you," he looked sternly around the crowd, which quieted down, thankfully.

When some sense of calm had returned, he turned back to Gil. "Zanarkand is in ruins, and has been for a thousand years. Do you think this was a dream?"

Gill looked over all the shocked, and upset faces that suddenly mirrored his own emotions, reeling at the man's words. His mind continued to wonder how what they had said could be true, all the while wishing that he could figure out how to get out of this mess. Surely he hadn't done anything wrong. Not knowing what else to do, he shook his head.

"Ruins? A thousand years? This is a joke right?"

"Must have been one heck of a party," a girl from the front of the crowd said to the person standing beside her. She received several snickers for her comment.

The man glanced around at the crowd again, and was about to speak, but the woman beat him to it.

"Of course this isn't a joke," she said, still looking rather angry and hiding her child behind her protectively.

"We should take him to the temple," someone suggested. "Even with Maester Micha gone..." everyone paused and bowed their heads for a moment as if in mourning before that same person continued, "someone there should know what to do with him."

"Yes!" Someone else agreed, then continued. "He should be punished for his blasphemy!"

"He may really believe what he says," someone else shot back.

"Then he has partaken of magic or drugs that will skew ones perceptive and should be punished for that!"

"Hey, hold on-" several people burst out in opposition, all suddenly taking sides either for or against Gil. He gulped and began to back away. This 'temple' thing they wanted to take him to didn't sound pleasant at all.

"Wha-huh? B-but I-I don't understand...I'm sorry." No one seemed to listen to him or his apology. They just stood in front of him, arguing angrily. "Maybe I should just go?" he tried to edge away from the crowd again.

The older man, who was still trying to calm everyone down again, turned towards Gil and opened his mouth to say something, but a figure stepped between them, consequently partially shielding Gil from the soon-to-be mob.

A new, deep and calm but distinctly female voice broke over everyone who had gathered, demanding their attention.

"You," said the new figure, dressed almost completely in black, "will leave him alone."

xXx

"Who are you?"

Lulu did _not _want to acknowledge she'd heard the question from yet another person in the crowd, although he brought up a good point. If they didn't know who she was, they wouldn't listen to her, so she answered him with a straight face. "My name is Lulu, Lady Yuna's guardian."

Utter silence fell over those assembled as they all seemed to reel back with surprise as one. After a few minutes, some of them broke out of their shock and a general murmur washed over them.

"Prove it," someone yelled out

Lulu normally thought of herself as a calm, collected person, albeit with a temper. Even when someone tried her patience though, it wasn't a raging temper, but more of an ice storm. She liked to be the logical person that anyone could look to as an example, but at this point, she couldn't stop the harsh words that left her lips.

"I followed my summoner all the way from Besaid. Despite being there to protect her, I could usually only watch as other people did everything they could to manipulate her progress every step of the way. Even then, she never faltered. Not once. Always, she only had one thought in mind: Hope for Spira's people and their future." Her fists were clenched at this point, shaking visibly, even beneath her long sleeves.

"We traveled the world on the Pilgrimage to supposedly defeat Sin, only to watch her die for _every single one of you_, and you want me to PROVE it?"

Again, murmuring met her words, and more than one person even apologized and looked away. Others remained unsure or angry and brushed her words off all too easily.

"That doesn't prove anything!" the same man who had accused the boy of heresy shot out. He wore an old-style robe with several trimmings, most of them expensive looking. "It doesn't matter anyway! This boy was still spouting heresy!"

"Perhaps we should hear what Ms. Lulu has to say," the salt-and-pepper-haired man who had tried to calm the crowd earlier spoke up, looking at the woman in black respectively. Lulu felt a spark of appreciation for the man. At least _someone_in this thick gathering of useless people could guess as to what the last few days had been like for her. She also noticed out of the corner of her eye that the boy, who continued to gape in confusion, had edged closer to her.

"He was affected by Sin's toxin," the mage stated calmly. "Sin was parked above the temple, was it not? How many people are still in the hospital? How many others don't remember who they are?"

"He would have gotten over it by now!" the man insisted.

Lulu fixed a gaze coolly on him. "I've seen it before. The exact words this boy spoke, even. None of this is his fault. Actually," she eyed them with a slightly evil smile, "it could have happened to any one of you."

"But..." the man sputtered, refusing to back down, but he stood alone. The rest of the crowd had died down at her words. Several people began to wonder off, either to avoid more confrontation or because they bought Lulu's explanation. Most of the rest milled around, commenting to others that remained, but the mage's strong presence seemed to deter any outright protest. What sane individual would go against a guardian of Lady Yuna since she had been cleared of her supposed heresy?

The rich man, realizing he was the only one left protesting, blushed hotly and then stomped away.

The first man strode up to them with a smile. "Thank you, Ms. Lulu," he said, placing a hand upon the woman's shoulder in greeting and gratitude. "An angry crowd never befits the followers of Yevon. I wish you luck and good fortune as well as my most sincere apologies for your loss." He put his hands together in the prayer and bowed before walking off towards the temple.

That left only the confused boy and Lulu on the walkway that lead up to the Bevelle temple. Lulu saw the boy warily watch everyone leave, still looking as perplexed and on edge as ever. Not losing that expression, he glanced at the woman who had helped him.

"Er, thanks...I guess," he muttered, putting a hand up to rub the back of his head and forcing a smile at her. She almost appreciated the gesture. "I'm not sure what that was all about."

"Are you really from Zanarkand?" she asked suddenly, turning around on him so quickly he involuntarily took a step back. Her harsh and cold demeanor hadn't dissipated. In fact, if anything, she probably looked even more upset. She also didn't care at the moment.

"Uhm, am I supposed to say 'yes' or 'no'? The truth almost got my lynched, I'm not sure if I can handle that more than once a day," he smiled a kind of hopeful but also cheesy half-grin that still looked forced and shrugged at the woman.

"I can't take this again," Lulu muttered, sounding utterly pathetic and weak for the first time since she's stepped onto the scene. "Not again..." She put her hands to her head and shook it before running her hands back and over her tightly braided hair. "Why?" she muttered to no one. "Why is it happening like this again?"

Gil blinked, looking unsure. "This has happened before?" he ventured. "You mean what? What's happened before?" He stepped closer to the woman looking up into Lulu's eyes. "Please, I don't understand anything," he spoke softly.

She didn't seem to be listening to him. "It will come down to...Sin will...all over again..."

The boy put a hand to his head, an expression of frustration coning over him. "Sin? What are you talking about lady?" he forced himself to calm down. "Look, I just got here. I can't have sinned yet, ya?" he smiled winking at the woman.

Lulu seemed to react to that and froze, looking up. She only saw a silhouette of light from the morning sun around him. The front of his hair stuck up a little and she couldn't see any features. For just a moment, she forgot who she'd been talking to.

"Wha...Wakka?" she whispered, continuing to stare at him incredulously, her face paling a few more shades just for good measure.

Gil shook his head. "No, sorry. It's just the awesome 'Gil the Wind' of the Zanarkand Abes," he said sticking a thumb at his chest and grinning widely.

Lulu blinked. For a moment she could have sworn...

"No," she said finally, looking down and shaking her head. "No, of course not." She straightened, looking far more composed and like the woman who had stepped onto the scene. "What's your name again?" she asked, her tone cold yet again.

"Gillian, or Gil, or 'Wind'. Whichever you like." He shrugged and looked at the woman for a moment. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "you remind me of my sister Mrynn. So what's your name?" Before she could answer, his eyes widened in realization and he smacked his head. "Oh and geez, how dumb can I be? How can I thank you for dispersing that rabble of hot heads? I still don't know what I did to tick 'em off..."

The mage couldn't help it. She chuckled at the irony, albeit a bit mirthlessly and with more than a touch of insanity. "You exist," she muttered, just loudly for him to hear her. "Your very presence is really a heresy they are not ready for."

She regretted saying that almost as soon as she did. What was that? Wakka and Tidus were the kind of people to speak before thinking, not her. "You may call me Lulu," she said, suddenly changing the subject to something less painful. Then, before he could speak, she let out tired sigh, feeling suddenly very weary. "And trust me when I say you want to leave this city. Now." With that, she turned her back on him and headed towards the street that led into the large town.

It took him almost a full minute before he shot forward after her. "Wait!" She didn't stop, knowing that if she turned around her resolve to leave this all behind would suffer a blow she may not be able to recover from. "Please, I don't know where I am! I mean, don't leave me, please?" she felt him grab one of her sleeves and involuntarily looked. Immediately she regretted it. His eyes were starting to tear up and the frown that appeared on his face reminded her far too much of a lost little chocobo. It didn't phase Lulu, though. That's what she told herself in any case. She was far too used to this kind of behavior from Chappu and even Wakka every now and then. That, however, did get to her. For just another moment, she saw Wakka's face instead of the kid's.

"Not again," she said simply and continued to walk away, hoping he hadn't seen her almost lose it for the second time in five minutes. Had to be some kind of record for her.

"But...there's nobody 're the only one I feel like I can trust." he practically begged, "I don't want to be alone."

Lulu paused for a moment, then turned back to face him. "You think you can trust me?" she asked. "Do you know who I am at all?" Tidus had been that trusting too. Just about anyone they ran across, with maybe the exception of Seymour and the Luca Goers, he had been all to ready and willing to trust his life to.

She had to get rid of this kid. Vaguely, she recalled Tidus saying something about how not a lot of actual magic existed in Zanarkand. Yes, that would work nicely. "Did you know I can do this?" Raising her finger in the air, she called a bolt of Thundaga down to fry a local stone. It stood there, suddenly dark and smoking with streaks around it heading out like the rigid petals of a black flower.

The boy jumped back in surprise, staring at the scorched rock lying not too far from he two of them. "Wow...that is so cool! How did you do that? The bolt was almost as big as the ones in the storm when Tidus showed back up!" Gingerly, he walked up to the large rock and nudged it lightly with his foot.

That caught her attention. "Showed up?" she asked. "Showed up where? In Zanarkand?"

"Not a lot of people know a lot of magic," he continued. "Could you teach-?"

"Is he still there?" She blurted out almost before he could finish speaking.

He looked a little taken aback by her abrupt question, his eyes snapping from the blackened rock to her. "Uh...I don't think so. I think he's kinda the reason I'm here in Bevelle...or wherever this place is." He reached up and scratched his head slowly. "If I'm in Bevelle, I guess that could be why they all hated me so fast, 'cause of the bad relations and all.

"But," the boy continued, looking more and more confused, "why would he bring me to Bevelle? And where is he now?"

Lulu looked around cautiously, unobserved by the distracted boy. If Tidus were here...had he already become Sin? How long did they have before he lost control? It took ten years for Sin to come back, but was that because it took that long to amass energy and grow in size and power, or because it took that long to fall under Yu Yevvon's influence?

They couldn't really be in danger now, but the thought of a future Sin being around still made her uneasy, and more than a little angry. Sin had taken so many things from her. Even Tidus's very existence in this world seemed to mock her pain. It wasn't his fault, she knew, but she couldn't help but feel resentful towards him and everything related to him

"I'm leaving. Goodbye," she said, her voice icy as she focused her patented glare on the boy. "Don't follow me."

With that, she turned around, ignoring his protests completely. She had to leave Bevelle, and she wasn't about to go anywhere without supplying first. Eventually the kid would give up and just leave her alone if she just went about her errands, right?


End file.
